Railway-switch



(No Model.) 7

O. D. WALTER;

RAILWAY SWITCH. No. 313,264. Patented Mar. 3, 1885.

Unrrnn Snares Parana rrrcno CHARLES DANIEL WALTERS, OF HARRISBURG, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-FOURTHS TO ALEXANDER H. EGE, OF MECHANIOSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAlLWAY-SVVITCH.

EIPECIFICATIUN forming part of Letters Patent No. 3,1326%, dated March 3, 1885.

Application filed February 12, IP84. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, (Jr-mamas DANIEL WVAL- TERS, of Harrisburg, county of Dauphin,and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Switches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a safety-switch consisting of a continuous main track and spring-actuated switch-rails of sim- I 5 pie and inexpensive construct-ion, the one having a free end and spring-actuated under the lateral pressure of the wheel-flanges, while the other (the outside switch-rail) is spiked down and fished at its opposite ends in continuation of the adjacent main-track and siding rails, and depends upon its own flexibility and re silience, more or less centrally applied, for its lateral movement in performance of its required functions, while at the same time af- 2 5 i'ording means for the re-enforcement of said resilience by the use of adjunct spring appliances,when necessary to supplement the same under excessive demands.

Heretofore the natural resilience of the rail 0 has been utilized in railroadswitches, but not in such a combination as shown in my inventionfor instance, an outside switch rail with a free end, havingits opposite end spiked down in continuation with the siding-rail, in

3 5 connection with the main-track rail upon the opposite side of the track, the latter springing laterally more or less centrally, as required; again, an outside switch-rail planted similarly to mine has been used, but absolutely and 0 necessarily in connection with a similarly-resilient guard-rail co-operatin g to secure asimilar result; also, both main track rails have been made to spring laterally into contact with or away from fixed and permanent siding-rails 5 for purposes of shunting; but my device is distinct from any of these, and at the same iimeis operated differently,and thereby avoids the objections to the use of such arrangements.

In referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the device with switch set to the mainline. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing switch set to the siding, and a modification of I switch-rod connection with the outside switchrail without spring attachment. Fig. 3shows a modification of an independently acting spring attachment of the outside switch-rail, used simply to re-enforce the natural resilience of the rail when necessary.

For the sake of brevity of description, I shall call the direction of a train moving on the main line and siding in the direction of the arrows a a as up, while the opposite direction will necessarily be called down, and need not otherwise be specially designated.

In speaking of the details ot'my invention, I construct the permanent maintrack rail A tapering to a frog-point, with the foot of the same extending longitudinally beyond the terminus of said point, and preferably bent inward in a curve snitlcie'ntly short to admit of spiking room upon both lateral edges of the same- Since said main-track rail A terminates in a point and foot prolongation, the continuity of the main line would be broken were it not restored by the prolongation of the siding-rail B, whose construction is somewhat as hereinafter more fully set forth. The opposite main-track rail, A, is absolutely continuous and permanently spiked in position. The switch-rail B is made tapering at its free end at an angle more or less acute, as may be required by the circumstances of the case, while said switch-rail is so connected with the other co-ordinate parts of the switch as shall render the same capable of being moved 8 5 laterally at its pointed or free end, in consequence of being pivoted or fished at the opposite end as securely as may be desired. IVhen said switch-rail B is required to perform the function of a guard-rail, as in the case of a train passing up the main track, said switchrail is set in proper relation to the main line by means of the switch-rod and lever. As a re-enforcement in the peribrmance of this function, I use one or more guides or tongues, c c, 5 to limit the inner range ofsaid rail, said guides being so constructed as to pass snugly under holders m m, or equivalent devices, at their free ends, while the opposite ends are bolted into the shank or otherwise rigidly fastened to the web of said pointed rail. Ihe inward movement of the point-rail is limited by the lateral contact of the rail wit-h the holders in m, which act as stops for the rail. Vhen it 7 opposite directions.

is required to secure the lateral movement of said switch-rail B in shunting, I accomplish the same by means of a switch-lever or equivalent appliance, F, and switch-bar E, so adj usted and coupled together as to effect said resuit, but at the same time to limit the range thereof to the desired extent, as hereinafter more fully set forth. The section A of the main track rail A is spiked down perinanently until it reaches a point, as c, a short distance removed from a point about opposite that of the extremity of the free end of the switch-rail B, from which point said section A of said main-track rail is left unspiked, and bent outwardly and laterally in parallelism with the switch-rail B, when the latter is set to the siding, or substantially parallel to the main-line rail A, when said switch-rail is set to the main line, and in its prolongation becomes continuous with the siding-rail B, after the point b is reached, in the direction of the track that we have called up. At a convenient point in the same direction and beyond said point b-a point to be determined by the power to be applied to overcome the natural resilience of the rail in any specific casesaid siding-rail is again spiked down to the underlying cross-ties, and thence onward constitutes said siding-rail B.

In referring to the means by which I operate the constituent parts of my device, I add that I use a double-crank shaft operating in To the one extremity, g, of said crank-shaft I attach the switch-rod h that operates the jointed rail B in opening and closing the switch, and to the other extremity, g, I attach the switch-rod h, operating the unspiked portion of the siding-rail B, either into lateral contact with the permanent tapering section of the main'track rail A,

- when the switch is set to the main line, or in drawing said rail away from such contact to its outer limit of lateral movement when the switch is set to the siding.

Upon the switch-rod h, operatingthesidingrail B, I attach the compensatingspring P, whose function,in its expansive and contractile power under the lateral action of the wheel flanges, is so well known as to need no special reference. The continuity of the switch-rod h, operating the spring-rail B. is interrupted by a spiral or equivalent spring, G, of an expansive and contractile power graduated to the resilience or resistive power of said rail,

being, however, somewhat in excess of the,

same. Ifit be not desirable, however, in practice to make the siding rail B self-acting under the lateral pressure of the wheel-flanges when the switch is set to the main line and the train comes down the siding, I dispense with the use of the spring G; but in this case the switch will require to be opened by the switchman by a rigid connection, as shown in Fig. 2; but even in this event, as regards the main line, the switch would continue to be a safety-switch under all circumstances, as will be evident upon reflection.

The aforesaid bent or outwardlycurved form ofthe siding-rail B, I shall consider the normal condition in my device, and hence when in position it lies naturally in close contact with the pointed extremity of the maintrack rail A, without being forced thereto by the thrust of the switch-rod h, and therefore, when so planted, constitutes a continuous bearing-surface for the wheel-treads of a train passing over the main line. \Vhile in this latter position, should a train, by accident or otherwise, come down the siding onto the main line, the switch being set to the main line, the wheel-flanges of said train, entering wedge-like between the pointed end of the main-track rail A and the siding-rail B, force the latter away from said lateral contact sufficiently to admit of the passage of said flanges, (the spring G contracting to a corresp onding degree,)while the wheelflanges upon the opposite side, impinging also laterally against the inner edge of the switch-rail B, force the latter into lateral contact with the main-track rail A, and thus admit of the passage of the train onto the main line without derailment. Again,take the case of the switch when set for the siding and the train coming down the main line, in which case the pointed switch-rail B is held by the switch-rod against the side of the permanent main-track rail A, and the wheel-flanges of the downgoing train, entering wedgelike into the angle between said rails, force the same apart at their point of contact against the pressure of the spring P sufficiently to admit of the passage of the wheels so engaging, and thus impart to the switch-rail B the requisite lateral movement to secure this result. The wheels having passed the tapered extremity of said switch-rail, the spring P, by its expansive power, all pressure being removed, will restore said rail to its former position of lateral engagement with the main-track rail A, occupied by said switch before the supposed passage of the train.

While I prefer to use a double-crank shaft and its engaging switch-bars, or its equivalent. in the operation of my switch, yet I do not confine myself solely to this device.

In view of the fact that my switch is a safetyswitch and both rails of the siding are movable to a greater or less extent and in opposite directions, each of them may be made to operate automatically and at the same time independently in their connections of each other.

As shown in Fig. 3, the switch-rod h is conneeted with the spring G, is limited in its longitudinal movement by the stop 8,. and has no connection with the crank-shaft at all, and

therefore is dependent only upon the lateral pressure of the wheel-flanges of the shunted train. In this case the pointed switch-rail B is operated by the ordinary switch-rod, spring, and lever, as shown in Fig. 1, and therefore need not be specially described.

Again, I do not confine myself to the use of the springs G or P, as any other well-known IIO devices that perform a similar function may I rails of a main track, of a spring-actuated Siding or switch rail and a self-returning spring switch-rail, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the main -line rails. of a tapering switch rail and a spring switch-rail, and a double-crank shaft and connection for actuating the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GHARLES DANIEL WVALTERS.

Witnesses:

EUGENE SNYDER, SAML. O. WIESTLING. 

